A simple, uncomplicated garden salad with our basic ‘house’ vinaigrette regularly frequents the dinner table. It is known as our ‘fridge’ salad …whatever is in the fridge is fair game for being included in the salad of the day. For convenience, make a double or triple amount of the vinaigrette so that there are leftovers for a few more days.
House Salad
Number of Servings: 4
Salad Ingredients:
3-4 cups of garden greens, such as lettuce (Boston, bibb, leaf), spinach or arugula – or better yet, a creative mixture of many of these greens.
Add in any amount of a variety of the following:
- Celery slices
- Radish slices
- Peppers – red, green, yellow, orange
- Cherry tomatoes
- Small broccoli florets
- Cucumber pieces
- Green or red onion slices
- Shredded carrots
- Snow peas
Highlight with some of these:
- Chunks or slices of apples, pears, or avocado
- Dried fruits, such as apricots, raisins, dates, or cranberries
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Toasted chopped nuts, like walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts
- Feta cheese
- Fresh herbs like basil or mint
House Vinaigrette:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons (10 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons (30 mL) white wine or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons (10 mL) honey
¼ teaspoon (1.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
¼ – 1/3 cup (60-85 mL) extra virgin olive oil and/or avocado oil
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
Method:
- In a large salad bowl, combine your choice of salad ingredients.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, mustard, honey, vanilla, and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in oil and whisk until mixture has thickened. Season to taste.
- Pour just enough dressing over salad ingredients to lightly coat; save the rest to serve on the side, or for another day.
